Traffic alert: Fall Commencement ceremony to be held at Stan Sheriff Center

UH Mānoa’s Fall 2011 Commencement ceremony is scheduled for this Saturday, December 17, at the Stan Sheriff Center. The program will begin at 9 a.m. and the student procession will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Traffic has been known to back up at H-1 University off-ramps in both directions prior to the ceremony.

Graduates, families, friends, and UH faculty and staff who plan to attend this year’s Commencement should be aware of possible traffic congestion, to approach the campus with caution, and to arrive early to avoid delays and guarantee seating.

About 1,250 students are eligible to receive degrees and certificates to conclude the Fall academic term. Just over 750 students will receive bachelor degrees, and more than 450 will receive master’s and doctorate degrees, and post-baccalaureate certificates in secondary education.

UH Mānoa alumnus Henk Rogers, philanthropist, video game visionary and entrepreneur, will be the featured commencement speaker.

The Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters will be awarded to Shinichi Maehara, Senior Managing Director of Okinawa Television.

Anticipate slowed traffic and possible tie-ups near the University off-ramp area and on side streets leading to the campus.

Doors to the Stan Sheriff Center will open at 7:45 a.m. Both events are free and open to the public. No tickets are issued, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Balloons and strollers are not allowed inside the Stan Sheriff Center.

Free parking will be available in the parking structure, which will open at 6 a.m. Parking shuttle service will be provided. The shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible and run a continuous route from the Biomedical Science Building to Krauss Circle.

Friends and family members may greet graduates following the ceremony on the football practice field (surnames A-L) and the soccer practice field (M-Z).Authorized lei vendors will be located in the areas.